I’ll Teach You to be Free
by TheFreshApple
Summary: In the beginning, he was just an errand boy, in the grand scheme of things. Pre-series. Pre-Alice Hamilton. Preconceived notions aside.


**Title:** I'll Teach You to be Free

**Rating:** M

**Disclaimer:** What's theirs is theirs; what's mine is mine. It's as simple as that. Also, a little side note: I'm just playing around in Lewis Carroll's sandbox here. I don't claim to be an expert on the story of Alice in Wonderland, nor do I claim to follow the story line perfectly. This is just something that kept tickling my creative bone, so please keep that in mind when reading.

**Summary:** In the beginning, he was just an errand boy, in the grand scheme of things. Pre-series. Pre-Alice Hamilton. Preconceived notions aside. Hatter/Cheshire Cat

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There was nothing in the world like the scent of books. All that knowledge, crammed onto one, two, _five_ hundred pages, ripe and ready for the picking. There was a freedom in books, an escape that he never managed to find much anymore in the real world. If one could even call Wonderland a world anymore. It was more of a mere existence, going through day-to-day motions without even thinking about it. Hell, he could barely even feel anything anymore – he was just as bad as those saps that came into his shop for a little bit of something extra.

It wasn't his fault either, that they came. If the good people under the Queen of Hearts' thumb wanted to be swindled, let them. He just needed a way to make a little living that allowed him to protect the refugees stowed safely away in the Great Library. Even if the Dodo didn't understand that, there were members of the Resistance that did. What Hatter did was important, really. He brought food, he brought blankets, and he brought information worth its weight in more than just gold.

Such were the thoughts that swam like little golden crocodiles in Hatter's head as he jolted to the Great Library's main floor, glaring at Duck as the bus shuddered to a stop. "Don't you think it's about time to get that fixed?" he grumbled, straightening his hat as he bounded down the steps, neatly side-stepping Owl on his way to Dodo's lair. He ignored the guns, swapping his life for a box that Duck nearly dropped. "Thank me later," he called out, nearly jogging past the Great Room where all the refugees were camped out. He didn't stop for a moment to look at them like he usually did, anxious to get directly to Dodo.

"The Stone of Wonderland's been taken," he announced, striding into the cold, dismal, poorly-lit room that was Dodo's office. The old man, caught completely off-guard, stumbled backwards over a stack of books, landing squarely on his ass.

"Whu-huh-what?" Dodo spluttered, his watery blue eyes glaring up at the permanent thorn in his side.

Hatter nodded, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. "I heard from a very _reliable _informant over at the casino that the ring has disappeared indefinitely."

A chuckle from the corner had Hatter whirling round, and his stomach dropping as he did. Out of the shadows came a woman, a woman he knew quite well, and feared, if he knew what was good for him, which he did. Her hair, glinting auburn in the low lamplight, curled in a bob around her face. The cut accented her high cheekbones, above which green eyes gleamed in the dim light. "I severely doubt," she said softly, "that any informant that comes from that wretched place is _reliable_, Hatter, dear." Her voice barely rose above a conversational tone, and yet the entire room went quiet when she spoke.

"They are when I put them in there myself," Dodo spat venomously. "I don't recall asking for your opinion, Cheshire."

White teeth revealed in a broad grin lacked any amusement. "Whether you want my opinion or not, Dodo, I'll still give it. Cats rarely have any master but themselves."

"Then do us all a favor and return to your other… body, where you can't be heard."

"I doubt you'd like that very much, either. Words are preferable to claws, no?"

"For an independent woman, you're lookin' well." Hatter found his voice and cut in. He smirked when the lady turned her attentions to him, this time with a genuine smile. "Adorable, as always," she purred, swinging her hips as she walked towards him. He watched the way her legs moved, the way the fabric of her dress shifted over her curves. She stopped close to him, breathing his air, and turned to the Dodo, throwing an elbow onto Hatter's shoulder. "Don't you think it's about time you made this poor boy something other than just an errand runner? I mean, after all," she cocked her head and winked at the old man, "he is risking his life everyday to make sure you're well taken care of."

Dodo scoffed at that, and Hatter's blood boiled. "It's true!" he burst out. "I bring provisions, I bring news; this Resistance would be nothing without guys like me."

"You keep talking like that, and we'll be sure to look for a replacement," Dodo thundered, coming nose-to-nose with the tea enthusiast. "Con men these days are so very easy to come by."

"Con men?" A very un-ladylike snort issued out of Cat's nose. "He's more than just a con man! He's a double agent! A spy for our cause in the world of our very enemy, though I'm loathe to share _anything_ with _you_. Surely, you can't be serious. A con man? Really?" Cat glared at Dodo and stepped forward, jabbing one manicured finger into the pompous leader's chest. "Caterpillar trusts him. So. Should. You." Each word was accentuated with a jab, and with each jab, Dodo stepped back. At the name of the Resistance's leader, his doughy face went ashen. Pale blue eyes darted from Cat to Hatter and back again. "Have you… Has he ever… What…"

Hatter raised his hands, palms up and outward, a sign of innocence. "Don't know what she's talkin' 'bout. I've never met the man in m'life."

Cat tossed her head proudly. "Don't worry, poppy. With all the work you've been doing, you will."

With an anguished groan, Dodo collapsed behind his desk, cradling his head in his hands. Cat turned over her shoulder to wink at Hatter before sauntering to the old man's desk and slamming her hands down on the top, getting Dodo's attention and giving Hatter a very satisfactory view of her ass. He could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke low, not low enough to not be heard, but at a tone in which she could make a point.

"Now listen here, you self-important windbag. You and I have seen far too much in this world to take help like what he gives for granted. I warned you that if you went around acting like you were too good for such things, that it would be the death of you. Now, our little plan will play out exactly as expected, but only if you treat certain persons in your employ with the amount of respect that all beings deserve. Got it?" At the older man's nod, she straightened, reaching her arms above her head and stretching in a languid, feline manner. "Good. Excuse me, gentlemen, I must go see a woman about a hedgehog." Without any further explanation, she turned and brushed past Hatter, running her hand down his chest and stomach as she did so. Something fluttered low and hot in his belly, and for a moment, Hatter forgot where he was. Then he saw Dodo, looking just as stunned as he felt, and he re-examined the situation and assessed that it would be in his best interest to leave. Immediately.

Turning on his heel, Hatter bolted out the door, flying past Owl and Duck, ignoring their squawked protests. He raced down the long hall, sparing a glance for the Great Room. "Cat!" he called out, skidding to a halt where Duck's "elevator" was, but she was nowhere to be found.

"How does she bloody do that?" he asked thin air, removing his hat and scratching the dark hair beneath. "It'd be a handy skill to pick up." He heard footsteps behind him and spun around, only to see Owl there, watching him.

"Bad idea it is, to get involved with the Cheshire Cat," she whispered in her burr, looking at him curiously. "Only the truly mad go anywhere near her willingly."

Hatter cracked a smile at that. "Call me mad, then."

With an _hmmph!_ and a glare aimed at him over her thick spectacles, the bow-wearing lady stepped back and allowed him to continue on, so that he could help Duck with the new supplies he had brought in. He waved at her, just to see her get flustered, when Duck started up his contraption to take them back to the main city of Wonderland. As Hatter rode the rickety machine up, he let his mind wander. What was the Cheshire Cat, one of the oldest and most mysterious beings in Wonderland, plotting with the Dodo, a man everyone knew that she despised? She hated the way he was handling things, sneaking about, gathering information. Her dislike for the Queen of Hearts ran deep, starting back when the Queen had wiped out the Knights. Lore stated that the Cheshire Cat and the Red King had been good friends, and when the Queen had had her way with the ancient city, the Cat had gone into such a temper that it had pushed her over the edge. Since that moment, she was never quite all there, if one could understand that sort of logic.

Of course, you'd never know it by looking at her. She was all smiles and laughs… Most of the time.

Hatter kept on thinking about the Cheshire, all the way back to his shop. Bidding had closed down for the day, and Dormouse had already shut down the place. Hatter sighed and let himself in, slipping through the auction rooms like a ghost and shutting himself in his personal office. A door to the right led to his bedroom, but he wasn't tired. He was restless. Something the Cheshire had said, something about the way she had looked at him made his skin tingle. She was a dangerous lady, to be sure, but she was also the closest thing he had to an ally. She said the Caterpillar liked him, and yet he had never met the Resistance leader. She said he had potential, and yet he spent most of his time selling emotions for a quick fix at abominable prices.

"She really is mad," he muttered to himself, running a fingertip around the rim of a glass tea cup.

"As a March hare," spoke a low voice with just a hint of a purr, and Hatter yelped, spinning around and nearly toppling his desk in the process. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts as he came in that he hadn't bothered to check if someone had been waiting for him. He willed his heart to stop pounding long enough to allow him to form proper sentences as Cat rose up out of a white chair, smiling. "A little jumpy, are we?" she asked, laughing, and he smiled weakly. "What are you doing here?" he gasped. His hands, balled into fists at his sides, tightened until the knuckles went white as she stepped towards him. Her typical grin went predatory as she raked her eyes up and down his tense frame.

"Relax, darling," she purred. "I'm not here for any other motive than to see my favorite con man."

"I thought I was more than th-" he began, but her finger on his lips cut him off. Cat shook her head, her ever-present grin still gracing her mouth.

"As of this moment, you are just a con. An errand boy, with little more importance in the Resistance with those poor refugees in the Great Library. I know," she raised her voice to speak over his sound of protest, "I know what I said, but I do so hate to let Dodo win an argument. Besides," she stepped closer to Hatter, looking up at him from underneath long, dark eyelashes, "it's not like I can't make you more." She leaned in closer to him, so close that he could feel the skin of her lips, just a hairbreadth's away from his. If he moved closer even a fraction of an inch, they would be kissing. The thought made Hatter's breath catch, and Cat smiled wider. "I heard that," she whispered, leaning forward.

His eyes snapped shut in anticipation… but it never came. She pressed her lips to his cheek, smirking against his stubble. "Aren't you going to at least offer me a drink first?" she asked and he shivered. Hatter took a few deep breaths to regain composure and save face before opening them and bowing low. "What would you like? I have every range of emotion possible for you to experience." He winked at Cat to show her he was teasing, and she threw back her head, laughing. She sank languorously into his high-winged chair, slipping his headphones off the side and holding one up to her ear. "Just the plain, ordinary tea that you drink, dear. I haven't the patience for any of that hag's trickery today." Her lips pursed in thought and she hummed for a moment, listening. Hatter went about pouring the tea for them both and offered her a cup. Cat took it, smiling at him, and went back to listening to whatever music he had been enjoying before his informant came and interrupted him in the first place. They sat in silence for a few minutes, her listening and him watching her. Her legs were crossed, one draped over the other's knee, and her brightly colored dress draped elegantly over their juncture. He sipped his tea and studied the fabric of her dress. The colors – red, green, yellow, purple – all ran together in a splatter of light, so much so that he could barely follow where one finished and another began. She lacked shoes, as usual, and somehow her feet were impeccably clean.

Suddenly, Cat crowed in delight and snapped her fingers. The headphones dropped into her lap as music filled the room. "I adore this song!" she exclaimed, eyes sparking as she drained the last of her tea and gently placed the cup on his desk. The slow, exotic beat had her hips swinging in no time, and he watched, placing his cup quietly next to hers. The way her hands twisted above her head had him mesmerized. He was so busy watching that he didn't notice when she was close enough to slip into his lap. Her arms came around his neck and, without thinking about it, he ran his hands up her back, pressing her shoulders to bring her closer.

For one crystalline moment, he could see the emerald green of her eyes, the broad, white grin of her smile and he grinned back. "I feel so used," Hatter whispered, teasing, and she laughed, a quiet breath of air escaping her lips and fanning sweetly onto his. "Don't," Cat murmured back and then they were kissing, and there was no need for words any longer.

Teeth fought for dominance, and Hatter wondered if they were going to do this the violent way – not that that was a _problem_ – until Cat slowed and let him in, sliding her tongue against his in all kinds of hot, wet, _wonderful_. This was what Hatter loved, the gasping for air between kisses that he could drown in. It was like she knew, too. She knew that that spot just below his ear was completely erogenous, and when she lightly pressed a finger against, he melted.

He was utterly lost in the feel of her, rosy lips petal-soft against him, womanly curves pressed against the hard, masculine lines of his own body. One line in particular rose in attention, and he moaned into her mouth when she ground down on his cock, teasing, but not quite fulfilling enough to be much of anything. She whimpered when he reached up and twisted his fingers in her hair, pulling gently to expose her throat to his teeth and tongue. His stubble grazed her pale skin, leaving red marks. Hatter knew that she could will them away with a simple thought, but the fact that she didn't meant that she was enjoying this too much to waste energy on it. Cat's nimble fingers deftly undid the buttons of his shirt, winding in his tie and pulling him closer. Her hands skimmed over his heated skin, removing his shirt and leaving goose bumps all over his body. He growled and pulled down the zip at the back of her dress, angry when she had to let go of him to slip the straps down her arms but appeased when she found her way back. His hands cupped her breasts eagerly, thumbs teasing her nipples until she was shaking. She was oh so close; he could almost taste it in her kiss. They were both, frenzied, panting, and Hatter didn't know how much longer he could last like this.

The need to have her, to take her and have a piece of her with him took over and Hatter shifted his hands to cup her thighs, standing in one fluid motion that had her gasping against his neck. He could feel Cat's tongue pressed against his pulse point, lapping at the skin, and it made him hurry all the more. It was too many steps to the bedroom, and he couldn't possibly take her on the grass. Grass stains were such a pain to remove, even for an illusionist such as the Cheshire Cat. His gaze fell on his large, glass desk and he grunted, pleased. Spinning, he marched around the desk and set Cat down on top of it, capturing her mouth in another kiss as he swept papers and tea cups onto the soft grass underneath. She laughed breathlessly and fumbled with his trousers, purring in delight once her hand was free to slip down the front and palm the hot hardness inside. Hatter stiffened, spine going completely rigid as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, biting gently. His hands crept up her thighs, inching her dress up her hips to gather around her waist.

He slid into her tight, wet heat easily, both of them moaning at the contact. Lips collided, teeth nipping, as hips began to move together, a perfect synchronism of pleasure. Hatter braced himself on the desk, leaning over her as her legs came up to wrap around his waist, drawing him in closer.

"So…good…" he managed to grit out and Cat mewled her agreement, reaching up to touch his face as she kissed him again. Closer and closer they came, their release looming before them until it was suddenly too much and it all broke in a bright haze of sound, feeling, _light_.

As he tried to catch his breath, Hatter marveled that, in the hour that he had been in the Cheshire's presence, he had felt more intensely than he had in his whole life.

There was movement beneath him, a languid stretching of satisfied limbs, and then a finger under his chin, raising his head. Hatter's eyes went up, grazing over sex-flushed skin, to meet sparking green cat's eyes, complete with slits for pupils. He recoiled, unsure how to react, despite the flutter of fear deep in his belly. Cat smiled at him, head cocked to the side.

"You little sneak," she muttered. "What did you put in the tea?"

"What?"

"Was it inhibition? Lust? Or," she blinked, eyes returning back to their original state, human with a round pupil, wide with either anger or amusement. "Arousal?" Her fingers raked over his shoulders, leaving red welts in their wake as she leaned up, kissing him deeply. Her teeth bit at his lip, drawing blood, and she sucked the injured skin into her mouth, bathing the abrasion with her tongue, tasting his blood.

Hatter grunted, pulling back. "That's disgusting."

Cat's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Your blood is humming. What did you put into that tea, darling?" She hissed as he pulled free of her, watching as he pulled his trousers back up around his waist, leaving his tie dangling around his waist and his hat cocked back on his head. She willed his shirt to come to her, dress vanishing and the soft scent of him filling her senses. He turned away from her, giving Cat the perfect opportunity to study the long muscles of his back. He had a scar that ran from his right shoulder to the middle of his back. She wondered why she had never seen it before. "Hatter," she began, low and dangerous.

He spun around to face her, defensiveness emanating from every pore. "Honesty, alright? I needed to know whether or not you were here to kill me." His gaze raked up and down her body, clothed only in his shirt, and she smirked.

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "You're far too cute for me to kill at the moment. Dodo's the one with the price on your head as it is."

"So, what, you're just here for the sex?"

Cat wrinkled her nose at his crass implications. "Believe it or not, I enjoy a good romp as much as the next person."

His dark eyes glinted. "It was good, wasn't it?"

"Delicious," she purred, reaching for him. He allowed himself to be towed in by his tie and dragged down to her mouth for a slow, sweet kiss. Cat pulled back with a sigh. "And now, I must go. I have work to do."

"So do I, but it's nice to just be for a while," he mumbled into her hair, kissing her earlobe. Cat shuddered.

"Like I said, you're far too cute. Be a good boy and let me go and organize a resistance."

"Yes ma'am." He let her up off his desk, tilting his head as he watched her ass move under his shirt. His curiosity got the best of him and he caught her arm, pulling her to him. "What was the plan that you finalized with Dodo, the one you were talkin' about before you left the Library?"

Cat smiled at him. "You'll learn soon enough, Hatter. Believe me." Fingers came up to rake through dark hair, pulling his hat down securely on his head. "You really _are_ more than just a con man, in the grand scheme of things," she whispered." All of us have something important to offer. None of us are _just_ what we claim to be." And with a smile and a wink, she was gone, and Hatter couldn't afford any more time to think about it, because there was a new shipment of emotions coming in and he needed to play his part once again.

But the very next day, a rat catcher from the docks, a foul-smelling man with a penchant for excitement tea, came into his shop, claiming that he had found a girl that Hatter might find useful. An oyster. Cat's words echoed in his mind as he got a good look at the girl, the one named Alice, who claimed that she didn't know anything about the old legends.

"_All of us have something important to offer. None of us are _just_ what we claim to be."_

--

**A/N:** So, after watching _Alice_ a hundred times, I came up with this. My muse fell in love with Hatter… She has a thing for guys with charming British accents. For some reason, my muse was also majorly inspired by the song _Boom_ by Anjulie, although the title was inspired by Wolfmother's _Vagabond_. Look them up, they be good songs!

A side note: This isn't bestiality, since Cat wasn't in her kitty form, so don't interpret it as such, please. As always, reviews are adored and welcomed!


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